Processed food is an ever-growing portion of the food market. A large factor influencing the rise of this segment of the market is the demand by consumers for convenience food. Another factor increasing the quantity of processed food is the need for food to be preserved for consumption out-of-season. As a result, a considerable and extensive food-processing industry has been developed.
Most food-processing plants resemble large factories; as a result, the cost of food processing facilities is considerable. This cost has a significant impact on two principle market areas.
"Gourmet" or "specialty" type foods are often sold in small quantities with a high price mark-up. Using conventional factory-like production facilities, it is difficult for small business to establish a private label and trademark and brand recognition. What is needed is a rapidly re-configurable modular food processing cell having a configuration that could be adapted to process relatively low-scale production quantities, thereby allowing a smaller concern to avoid the capital investment required to build factory-like production facilities.
Similarly, in the developing world, food processing facilities are often not available. As a result, food may rot in the fields or be sold at distress prices. Food production is therefore lowered, agricultural prices become unstable, and economic hardship results. Again, what is needed is for a rapidly re-configurable modular food processing cell having a configuration that could be adapted to process relatively low-scale production quantities of a variety of different food products. In addition to minimizing investment, a portable food processing cell could be transported to specific locations on a just-in-time basis. By appropriate scheduling, the food processing cell could be operated almost continuously, on a variety of different crops and would result in less effort spent in transporting masses of perishable food stuffs.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a rapidly re-configurable modular food processing cell that can can be moved rapidly to any desired site, where the cell could be configured by moving and installing modules within the cell for specific food processing functions, such as grinding, canning and packaging, and storage and serving.